Can a 15 m-overground wheelchair sprint be used to assess wheelchair-specific anaerobic work capacity?

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether outcomes based on stopwatch time and power output (PO) over a 15 m-overground wheelchair sprint test can be used to assess wheelchair-specific anaerobic work capacity, by studying their relationship with outcomes on a Wingate-based 30 s-wheelchair ergometer sprint (WAnT).MethodsAble-bodied persons (N = 19, 10 men, aged 18–26 y) performed a 15 m overground sprint test in an instrumented wheelchair and a WAnT. 15 m-outcomes were based on stopwatch time (time and mean velocity over 15 m) and on PO (primary outcome: highest mean unilateral PO over successive 5 s-intervals (P5-15m)). WAnT-outcomes were mean unilateral PO over 30 s and the highest mean unilateral PO over successive 5 s-intervals. Correlation coefficients (Pearson's r) and coefficients of determination (R2) were calculated between 15 m-sprint outcomes and WAnT-outcomes.ResultsTime over 15 m (7.2 s (±1.0)) was weakly related to WAnT-outcomes (r = −0.61 and −0.60, R2 = 0.38 and 0.36, p < 0.01), similar to mean velocity over 15 m (2.1 m·s−1 (±0.3), R2 = 0.43 and 0.39, p < 0.01). P5-15m (38.1 W (±14.0)) showed a moderate relationship to WAnT-outcomes (r = 0.77 and 0.75, R2 = 0.59 and 0.56, p < 0.001).ConclusionsIt seems that outcomes based on stopwatch time over a 15 m-overground sprint cannot be used to assess wheelchair-specific anaerobic work capacity, in contrast to an outcome based on PO (P5-15m). The 15 m-sprint with an instrumented wheel can be implemented in rehabilitation practice and research settings when WAnT equipment is not available, although care is needed when interpreting P5-15m as an outcome of anaerobic work capacity given that it seems more skill-dependent than the WAnT.